Class 108 Derby 2,3 & 4-car DMUs
Decline
Before 1990, withdrawals were restricted to vehicles involved in accidents, such as:
- 51944 withdrawn from 9D in 11/64
- 50611 withdrawn from 64H in October 1966 after a collision at Thornton on 12/08/66
- 50615 withdrawn in September 1968 after collision damage the previous month
- 50600 withdrawn from 55H in August 1970 after collision damage at Kirkstall
- 56206 withdrawn from Neville Hill in November 1972
- 51946 withdrawn after being involved in a derailment at Lower Darwen in December 1973 and cut up at Blackburn in April 1974 by the firm Chadwicks.
The image shows Class 108 unit S953 at Swansea Landore on the afternoon of Sunday 17th October 1987, with DMBS 51910 closest, 52037 behind. Just over a day later working the 05:27 Swansea to Shrewsbury the set ran onto a collapsed bridge at Glanrhyd, severe flooding causing an already-weakened support pier to collapse into the River Towy. Four people drowned. Nigel Curtis
There were plans to refurbish these sets again, although this were dropped and an overhaul programme carried out on the 101s instead. For 3 years from 1990 withdrawals took place rapidly. The last car withdrawn was DMBS 53628 from the NSE Thames & Chiltern Pool in Oct. 1993.
Their asbestos free and good mechanical condition when withdrawn meant a good many entered preservation, as well as departmental use as sandite cars.
Centre Cars
The first centre car was withdrawn in Feb. '85, being 59247 due to accident damage (Class 101 59113 took its place in the set).
Large scale withdrawals started towards the end of 1990 - in Nov. Neville Hill's 59246/9 were condemned, 59346 being re-instated two months later, although in reality it was never taken out of traffic. Also withdrawn at the end of 1990 was 59389 at Tyseley, which was then grounded at the depot and became internal user 024949.
59245 moved to Scunthorpe Steel Works for preservation in July '90, although it was not officially withdrawn till 1992.
The transfer of 59387 from Longsight to Cardiff in Sep. '91 meant all surviving centre cars were now based at CF or LA. More withdrawals took place in early 1992, and by July only 59387 remained in stock. Officially part of P829, it was actually out of use at Laira, and was withdrawn on 10/11/92.
59248 was destroyed by a fire at Canton 15/6/92.